Pregnancy and Tattoos

It's very important to screen the tattooist and the shop carefully. Professional tattooists will follow universal precautions in dealing with the tattoo equipment, using an autoclave and ultrasonic for sterilization, single-use ink cups, gloves and needles, barrier control of equipment to avoid cross-contamination, clean room and do a complete re-set of barrier control between each client, and thorough hand washing with disinfectant soap. Most tattooists will not knowingly tattoo a pregnant or breastfeeding mother. It is suggested that mothers wait at least 6 months to a year to give their bodies a chance to recover completely from childbirth before getting a tattoo.

Can I have an Epidural?Most healthcare providers will administer an epidural if you have a tattoo on your lower back, but they may decide not to if the tattoo is recent and still fresh. There's no clear evidence for or against giving epidurals near tattoos. If you do have a tattoo on your back and are considering having an epidural for pain relief during childbirth, find out what the hospital's policy is before you're admitted.Some of the reasons why we feel it's best to wait:

Because of skin changes during pregnancy (your skin stretches during pregnancy, stretch marks, pregnancy mask, etc.) a tattoo that you get while you're pregnant might not look the same after you deliver your baby. Whether it be a change in shape ( due to weight loss after the baby) or loss of color.

We don't know how tattoo inks affect a developing baby. Although it might be harmless to an adult it can have a much bigger impact on a tiny fetus or even a breastfeeding baby.

Sometimes, people having a tattoo faint or pass out. Most tattooists won’t be prepared to take the risk of a pregnant woman fainting.

Tattoo needles are sharp and can cause a shock, more so during pregnancy as your skin can be much more sensitive. Unusually stressful events during pregnancy run the risk of causing premature labor (even if it's only a small chance we don't feel it's worth it). We don’t know whether having a tattoo would cause this level of stress, but it's best to play it safe. Your unborn child will feel and go through the whole experience with you, the vibration from the tattoo machine will be felt through the whole body.

The tattoo ink may be partly absorbed into your body. We don’t know enough about the effects the ink may have on an unborn baby.

During pregnancy, the way you feel about your body and body image may be altered. Something you want to have done during pregnancy may be something you regret after your baby is born.

So after our research, we feel it's best to wait approximately 1 year after birth to get a tattoo. But bear in mind that if you’re breastfeeding, you will be asked to wait an additional 6 months to 1 year after the last feeding. We ask you to wait so that your body can replenish what it's lost during pregnancy and during your breastfeeding. We want your skin to return to its pre-pregnancy state to achieve the best result for your tattoo. We also have to be concerned about infection if your aftercare or our recommended rules are not followed. The risk of contracting an infection is small, but if it does happen, you could pass the infection to your baby through your breast milk.Source: Baby CenterSource: Baby Center UK

Once your baby is born we have only 1 question... Are you breastfeeding?

If the answer is YES, then you must wait 6 months after you finish breastfeeding before we will tattoo you. More importantly, there is also the fact that not much is known about how the dye used in getting a tattoo can affect a developing baby or even a breastfeeding baby – so it is highly advisable to leave the tattooing for a few months after you have stopped breastfeeding as well. Your body has gone through so many changes that we find you need to wait to allow your body to go back to its pre-pregnancy state. If you're run down from the pregnancy & breastfeeding, your tattoo will not heal properly and we also worry about placement shifting, so we ask you wait to give yourself time to heal.

What about Henna Ink? Is it safe?

Not many people are aware of the fact that there are a few different types of henna. The safe variants of henna will stain the skin orange, chocolate, brick, cinnamon, red or brown. The one form of henna to be very worried about, pregnant or not, is the black variant of the stain. This form of henna contains a chemical known as para – phenylenediamine (PPD) which is known to cause burns, blisters and a number of other reactions on the skin that could have long lasting effects.